This morning [yesterday], former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith testified before the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. This is Feith's opening statement as prepared for delivery. It is long, but worth reading in its entirety for the light it sheds on various misconceptions surrounding the Bush administration's treatment of terrorist detainees.

They then quote the entire opening statement presented by Feith.  They have a follow-up blog entry indicating that they've not been able to get the actual Congressional testimony.  I'd be very interested in reading that, if it ever appears.  Feith spells out, in great detail, as is usual for him, how the President, and the Pentagon, approached the treatment of prisoners captured during the ongoing battles with al Qaeda and the Taliban.  I am growing to admire that man more and more.  He has a steal-trap for a mind, and seems to have a real strong ethical streak.  The decisions made by this administration may have produced the wrong results, at times, but not for lack of moral fiber from the people advising them, like Feith.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92528583

So...since 9/11 using old torture techniques which had been devised to gain false confessions have scored the US....false confessions. Brilliant.

Mayer's book's subtitle: "The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals."

Imho, this has been candidate McCain's most glaring flip flops - by he who should know best!

Unless you have had the bad experience of installing this type of malicious software, you may not be aware that such a class of software even exists. But it does; and regrettably, as this reader points out, it is becoming more widespread.

In the last few days, the cyber criminals behind the creation of WinDefender 2008 have morphed this parasitic rogue security software application into WistaAntivirus. So now we have one more software parasite to add to the epidemic of rogue security software infesting the Internet.

A rogue security application like WistaAntivirus is an application that uses malware, or malicious tools, such as the ZLOB or Vundo Trojan, to install itself on the victim’s computer. Like many dangerous applications of this type, WistaAntivirus is usually found on free download sites, and adult websites. Or it can be installed from rogue security software websites, using Trojans or manipulating Internet browser security holes.

After the installation of WistaAntivirus be prepared for false positives; fake or false malware detection warnings. As with all rogue security applications, WistaAntivirus was developed to mislead uninformed computer users’ into downloading and paying for the “full” version of this bogus software, based on the false malware positives generated by the application.

If the full program fee is not paid, WistaAntivirus continues to run as a background process incessantly reporting those fake or false malware detection warnings. Over time, this type of software will essentially destroy the victim’s computer operating system, making the machine unusable.

Generally, reputable anti-spyware software is capable of detecting rogue software if it attempts to install, or on a malware scan. But this is not always the case. Anti-malware programs that rely on a definition database (most anti-malware programs), can be behind the curve in recognizing the newest threats. Nevertheless, it is critically important that your Anti-malware programs definition database is always kept current.

An additional safeguard is, ensure you have installed, and are running, an anti-malware application such as ThreatFire 3, free from PC Tools. This type of program operates using heuristics, or behavioral analysis, to identify newer threats.

As well, Malwarebytes, a reliable anti-malware company has created a free application to help keep you safe and secure. RogueRemover (latest version released July 7th, 2008), will safely remove a number of rogue security applications.

SmitFraudFix available for download at Geekstogo is a free tool that is continuously updated to assist victims of rogue security applications.

A further resource worth noting is the Bleeping Computer web site where help is available for many computer related problems, including the removal of rogue software.

An absolute necessity is making sure that any security application you are considering installing is recognized as legitimate by industry experts. An excellent web site that will keep you in the loop, and advise you what products work and have a deserved reputation for quality performance is Spyware Warrior.

What you can do to reduce the chances of infecting your system with rogue security software.

Be careful in downloading freeware or shareware programs. Spyware is occasionally concealed in these programs. Download this type of program only through reputable web sites such as Download.com, or sites that you know to be safe.

Consider carefully the inherent risks attached to peer-to-peer (P2P), or file sharing applications where exposure to rogue security applications is widespread.

Install an Internet Browser add-on that provides protection against questionable or unsafe websites. My personal favorite is Web of Trust, an Internet Explorer/FireFox add-on that offers substantial protection against questionable or unsafe websites.

Do not click on unsolicited invitations to download software of any kind.

The Great Hunt is an excellent sequel, and while I may have my problems with him later, I'm glad we get to spend so much time in Rand's head.  It is both sad and exciting watching him trade his shepard's life for the sword and grow up become a  man who can lead a nation(s).   I think it is because of the regret and emotion that I remember from him in this second book that I still can't hate him even when he deserves it later on in the series.  

To a lesser extent, Perrin's also plods down the road to self-acceptance on this trip, being forced into a situation where he has to call on the wolves after Hurrin's dissapearance.  The difference being that at the end of the second book, Perrin backtracks and continues on ignoring the wolves and blocking them out of his head until Jarra in The Dragon Reborn.  

I sometimes get to thinking of Perrin as Rand's shadow.  There are so many parrellels between the two, where as Matt has always seemed more off on his own.  Both have been described by women as both big and gentle.  Both are physically marked in some way that they can't hide underneath a necktie like Matt, what with Perrin's golden eyes and Rand's Aiel heritage that sets them apart from normal Westland society. Both their weapons were pretty much given from someone who was near kin.  Struggling with madness is more of an active struggle for them, than the creeping disease Matt suffered from the taint of Shadar Logoth.  And lastly, the reader is often brought into the dreams of Rand and Perrin, whereas Matt's are always  closed to us.

CGwen.

The official press release from dabelbrothers.com

But for those of you too lazy to click on the link:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dabel Brothers Publishing announced today that they will adaptRobert Jordan's bestselling Wheel of Time series, which has sold more than 14 million copies in North America alone, into comic book format. The first issue is scheduled to release in December 2008.

The Wheel of Time began in 1990 with the publication of The Eye of the World; ten more volumes have followed. The most recent four books of the series have reached #1 on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list. It is the story of a world – both our past, and our future – in which the battle between the Light and the Shadow must be fought every day; and of the people, both ordinary and extraordinary, who must fight that battle. Jordan wrote eleven volumes of the series and one prequel; he was unable to complete the twelfth and final volume before his death in 2007. That volume, A Memory of Light, will be completed by Brandon Sanderson, a writer chosen by Jordan's widow and editor, Harriet McDougal, and published by Tor Books in 2009.

The Dabel Brothers published a comic adaptation of Jordan's A New Spring in March 2005. In conjunction with that project, Robert Jordan provided them with extensive notes for use in further possible publications, including character descriptions and other visuals.

"I'm delighted to be working with the Dabel Brothers! Their work is splendid. Robert Jordan liked it enormously," says Harriet McDougal.

Graphic-novel collected editions of the individual comics will be distributed by Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group. The deal was negotiated by Jordan's agent, Nat Sobel.

Robert Jordan was born in 1948 in Charleston, South Carolina. He taught himself to read when he was four with the incidental aid of a twelve-years-older brother, and was tackling Mark Twain and Jules Verne by five. He was a graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, with a degree in physics. He served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army; among his decorations are the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with Palm. A history buff, he also wrote dance and theater criticism. He enjoyed the outdoor sports of hunting, fishing and sailing, and the indoor sports of poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting. He began writing in 1977 and continued until his death on September 16, 2007.

My Thoughts:

I think it is amazingly cool that Mr. Jordan left notes behind for just such a thing.  It saddens me terribly that he has past on and will be unable to complete his fine work.  What a wonderful gift it is though that he took such care and time to prepare all those notes so that others may continue on in his stead.  Once again, as always, thank you Robert Jordan!

Also ich meinte dann, dass ich ihm nicht zu nahe treten will, aber dass das keine Art sei, eine Dame zu unsittlichen Handlungen zu verführen. Außerdem sei es grad ganz schlecht, weil ich sei dabei das Bad zu putzen. Ob es okay wäre, wenn ich ihn auf Lautsprecher schalte, dann könnte er weiter erzählen und ich würde in der Zeit den Badezimmerspiegel weiter putzen, weil das gibt sonst so Streifen. Alternativ könnte ich ihn ja auch in zehn Minuten zurückrufen, ich hätte ja seine Nummer auf dem Display, kein Problem.

...da hat er aufgelegt. Tse.

So dringend kann's dann ja wohl nicht gewesen sein, oder?

Okay, so you can control what sites children visit using parental controls, but how many parents pro-actively oversee their children when they are online?

There are programs like Linkscanner, or AVG's built in Linkscanner Toolbar that many find obtrusive, but these tools give you an indication of whether a site is trusted, but what about child safety, links in emails, links on blogs and other websites.

Now there is a new tool for all users which is community driven. Web of Trust rates sites on standards of trustworthiness, vendor reliability, privacy and child safety. Once installed as a small BHO, it will place a safety rating on search engine searches and also checks links in emails. This takes it further up the ladder aimed at improving online safety for all users.

It is a small Browser add-on which will show you the reliability of websites warning you of unsafe sites before you interact with them. Should you proceed to an usafe site you will be presented with a warning covering the window that the site is considered dangerous with the option to continue to the site.

WOT also uses hundreds of trusted sources to compile its database including phishing site listings, as well as web users opinions.

This is the first community driven source where people can help each other by taking an active part.

The biggest threats come from adult orientated sites with malicious coding that will install adware, spyware, trojans, BHO's and more specifically phishing. Identity theft and identity fraud are on the increase, so tools like this help to create a greater awareness as well as offering better child protection, which is often overlooked.

Other dangerous sites that are frequented by children are those that offer cheap software, music downloads and video games and of course, some of the social networks.

It is too easy to search for well known brands whose names have been hijacked by unscrupulous webmasters, only to find that when you arrive at the site it is adult related, or a drive-by site which will compromise your computers security.

I deal with many questions about computer security, ranging from virus removal to which firewall, anti-malware should be used etc. There are tools to protect your equipment and your personal security as well as ensuring that your children are surfing safely too.

Web of Trust is a great addition, and YOU can help by joining this growing community and giving your opinion on sites that are either already known or maybe even a new one that has popped up. You CAN make a difference. Because this is driven by people and not just statistics, with regular 30 minute updates, you have the opportunity to surf safer and also to voice your opinion.

There is no commitment to join, it is voluntary, and you still benefit from the rating systems by using the free browser add-on. You can customize your own protection level to suit your surfing habits as a registered user, and also participate in the discussion groups and access to your Members' Page which gives you further information on internet safety, site ratings, your own ratings and your activity score.

Web of Trust is a free browser add-on that works with Firefox and Internet Explorer, and is available in ten different languages. There is also a version for those who are colorblind which is a true innovation and will benefit many internet users.

Download for Firefox click here

Download for Internet Explorer Click Here

System Requirements for Firefox
Operating system: Windows 98 / ME / NT 4.0 / 2000 / XP / Vista, Mac OS X, or Linux
Browser: Mozilla Firefox 1.5 or newer (2.0 or later recommended)
Available for PC, Mac, and Linux!

System Requirments for Internet Explorer:
Operating system: Windows 2000 / XP / Vista (XP or Vista recommended)
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or newer (7.0 recommended)

For more information and FAQ click here

Click to join FreePCSecurity

© Free PC Security 2008

Technorati Tags: Web of Trust, Colorblind, Child Safety, Technology, Free PC Security, Internet, FreeTools, Reputation, Community

• Drill Here, Drill Now, Drill Less.  American Solutions website (and petition) to ask Congress to lift the moratorium on off-shore drilling.  Sign it!
• Interesting white-paper by Intel on the new Quad-Core Xeon processor.  Not overly technical.  A decent read.
• Smart Energy Views, a blog on energy, how we use it, alternative sources, etc.  A somewhat related site:  Americans for Prosperity.  Calling BS on AGW.  Also, Lithium-Ion battery research.  Finally, Cringely on SwiftFuel, a potential replacement for ethanol.
• Juan Williams:  It's time for a new Obama race speech.  Maybe one that a little more honest and "nuanced"?
• Web Objects Community.
• Heinlein quotes.  Amazing stuff.  Time to start re-reading him.
• Roughly Drafted article on Snow Leopard.  Sounds fascinating.  If any company could say "Stop, we're going to take a year+ off and clean up our code.  Oh, and we're going to give you some under-the-hood enhancements that will blow you away!", it's Apple.
• Excel Spreadsheet analysis tools for options.
• Peter Robinson's "Uncommon Knowledge".  Just watched most of his interview (parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) with Douglas Feith regarding "War and Decision".  I think Robinson was initially perhaps a little too sycophantic towards Feith (although Feith certainly deserves praise for what appears to be an extremely honest and well-documented book).  However, Robinson comes down hard on Bush more than once, which was a surprise to me.  I think that's a good thing.  Feith is taking questions at NRO.
•  Don Surber on McCain's recent energy announcements.  If McCain gets ahead of the curve on this, he wins in November.
• Bostom's lecture:  "Jihad and Islamic Antisemitism".
• Earmarks by state. Maryland is middle-of-the-road.

Il gruppo WOT è una community di navigatori web che da' un giudizio ai siti che visita (trustworthiness, vendor reliability, privacy, child safety), premiando in questo modo i blogger o gestori che si impegnano nel loro lavoro o che comunque scrivono seriamente. Iscrittomi recentemente anche io a questa community posso vedere le valutazioni dei vari siti.

Come avrete capito questo blog ha ottenuto un punteggio elevato ("Excellent") e questo mi gonfia di orgoglio anche perchè le voci più quotate sono affidabilità e salvaguardia dei bambini.

I punteggi sono disponibili a questo link

My thoughts:

First, I have heard, rather reliably, that the Congressional committee (which one I can't remember) that voted on ending the drilling moratorium for our shores and in Montana/Idaho/Wyoming voted on party lines.  14 Republicans for ending the moratorium, 15 Democrats against.  That vote happened.  It was in the news.  What I heard off the record, but from several sources, is that the 15 Dems all recently received campaign contributions from?

The Saudi ruling families.

Hmm.  I'm not usually big on conspiracy theories.  I always left that to my dad.  But this one seems a little too convenient.  If they are playing for world domination (Wahabis anyone?), then restricting the oil supply and jacking the prices up makes sense.  They're pulling in 100s of billions of dollars every year on oil revenue.  That's waaaay more than enough to fund their fundamentalist sects around the world, let alone funneling cash to any particular terrorist organization (al Qaeda anyone?) that they want.  I'm not about to assert that they're funding al Qaeda, but I think the circumstantial evidence raises some questions.  And they've certainly not been friendly with Israel.  There's plenty of evidence that they've funded Hamas.

Something to think about.  I'm not quite sober at the moment, so maybe I'm just channeling some paranoia at the moment.  And this certainly is a theme that deserves more contemplation.  Perhaps Stephen Green would be better suited.

Comments welcome.

• Talk to the Taliban?  Hmm.  What corner to we have them backed into, first?
• Sam Harris:  Losing our Spines.  We're not standing up to Radical Islam, and are losing ground.  Interestingly, this is on Huffington Post.  Not exactly a bastion of Classical Liberalism.
• How Stuff Works:  3G Cell Phones.  Part of a larger discussion on cell phone technology.
• A primer on RSI.
• Mark Steyn:  Obama an appeaser?  That would be "Yes!"
• The Neocon Madrassa:  The Very Big War.  A pretty scary take on the next phase of the war between Western Civilization and Radical Islam.  Hizballah, Hamas, Iran, and Syria pretty much are the away team.  Who knows who's going to back up Israel....
• Commentary Magazine:  1948, Israel, and the Palestinians.  An annotated look at the birth of Israel and the lies told about it.
• The Weekly Standard:  A Theme For McCain's Pudding.  I'm not the most conservative person, but I can get the gist of this argument:  McCain can steal Obama's thunder (Hope and Change) by demonstrating that he (McCain) has a history of reform in the Senate, and using that as the basis for his campaign.  I like the idea of reform, and McCain is enough of an establishment outsider that he could just pull it off.
• Modafinil at Wiki.  Shows promise for treating ADHD.  Here's the original article at JohannHari.com.  Viagra for the brain?  I'm liking that!
• MIT News:  Hope on the Horizon.  Potential economy-boosting techs.
• Status Screen Saver.  Provides status updates in your screen saver on the Mac.
• MacPilot:  GUI for Terminal commands.
• Round-up on Fusion Power Research at Instapundit.
• Smoking Gun on Iraqi WMDs.

I would personally like to thank my son and the other members of the United States Army's  for giving those 20 Islamic Terrorists a one way magic carpet ride to hell.

'A Secret Afghanistan Mission Prepares for War with Iran,' says a Washington Post article by William M. Arkin May 9, 2008:

Those predicting war with Iran or some Bush-Cheney October surprise attack on Tehran are constantly looking for signs of military preparations: a B-52 bomber that mistakenly takes off from North Dakota with nuclear-armed cruise missiles; a second or third aircraft carrier entering the Persian Gulf; a B-1 crashing in Qatar.

Since the most likely path to war with Iran is not Marines storming the beach but a strike on nuclear facilities and "regime" targets, signs such as these can often just be mirages. The true strike is not necessarily going to come with any warning, and the U.S. military has developed an entire system called "global strike" to implement such a preemptive strike. #

If you've missed it prior to this very moment, you can read Arkin's article here:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/earlywarning/2008/05/a_secret_afghanistan_mission_p.html

~~:~~

Thanks go to Citizens for Legitmate Government for the heads-up on this article...LegitGov is a very good watchdog in a wasteland of press sorriness...

http://legitgov.org

So here's my existential question of the evening: is a watchdog standing guard same as a guard dog standing watch? 

What's the diff? Discuss while letting out the cat.

Recent news on this issue from Panda Security’s Oxygen 3 E-bulletin on IT security, indicates that Cyber-crooks are unrelenting in their chase to infect web search results. According to Panda “there is a steady increase in the use of custom-built websites designed to drop malicious code on computers, or even the manipulation of legitimate pages in order to infect users with malware.”

It was reported recently that fifteen thousand web pages were infected daily between January and March of this year; three times the rate of infection noted in the previous year. More disturbing, seventy nine percent of compromised web pages tracked this year were on legitimate web sites; including web sites belonging to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and ironically, security vendors.

PandaLabs maintains that cyber-crooks have begun to opt for a new technique: the manipulation of search engine results, or seeding websites among the top results returned by these engines. When a potential victim visits one of these sites the likelihood of the downloading of malicious code onto the computer by exploiting existing vulnerabilities is high.

There are several ways that this can occur. Cyber-crooks can exploit vulnerabilities on the server hosting the web page to insert an iFrame, (an HTML element which makes it possible to embed another HTML document inside the main document). The iFrame can then activate the download of malicious code by exploiting additional vulnerabilities on the visiting machine.

Alternatively, a new web page can be built, with iFrames inserted, that can lead to malware downloads. This new web page appears to be legitimate.

Another method is the insertion of false dialogue boxes, fake toolbars, and more on sites; all designed to load destructive malware which could include rootkits, password stealers, Trojan horses, and spam bots.

So what can you do to ensure you are protected, or to reduce the chances you will become a victim?

As I have pointed out in the past, the following are actions you can take to shield your computer system from malware infections:

• Install an Internet Browser add-on such as WOT which provides detailed test results on a site’s safety; protecting you from security threats including spyware, adware, spam, viruses, browser exploits, and online scams.
• Don’t open unknown email attachments
• Don’t run programs of unknown origin
• Disable hidden filename extensions
• Keep all applications (including your operating system) patched
• Turn off your computer or disconnect from the network when not in use
• Disable Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX if possible
• Disable scripting features in email programs
• Make regular backups of critical data
• Make a boot disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised
• Turn off file and printer sharing on the computer
• Install a personal firewall on the computer
• Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software and ensure it is configured to automatically update when you are connected to the Internet
• Ensure the anti-virus software scans all e-mail attachments

Be proactive when it comes to your computer’s security; make sure you have adequate software based protection to reduce the chances that your machine will become infected.

The free software listed below, in my view, provides better than average malware protection.

avast! 4 Home Edition

This anti virus app is a real fighter, scanning files on demand and on access, including email attachments. Let’s you know when it detects mal-ware through its shield function. An important feature is a boot-time scan option which removes mal-ware that can’t be removed any other way.

Ad-Aware 2007

In my view, Ad-Aware 2007 Free is the best free spyware and adware remover available. It does a relatively good job of protecting against known data-mining, Trojans, dialers, malware, browser hijackers and tracking components. The only downside with the free version; real-time protection is not included.

ThreatFire 3

ThreatFire 3 blocks mal-ware, including zero-day threats, by analyzing program behavior and it does a stellar job. Again, this is one of the security applications that forms part of my front line defenses. I have found it to have high success rate at blocking mal-ware based on analysis of behavior. Highly recommend this one!

Comodo Firewall Pro

The definitive free firewall, Comodo Firewall protects your system by defeating hackers and restricting unauthorized programs from accessing the Internet. I have been using this application for 6 months and I continue to feel very secure. It resists being forcibly terminated and it works as well, or better, than any firewall I’ve paid for. This is one I highly recommend. Amazing that it’s free!

WinPatrol

Do you want to get a better understanding of what programs are being added to your computer? Then WinPatrol is the program for you. With WinPatrol, in your system tray, you can monitor system areas that are often changed by malicious programs. You can monitor your startup programs and services, cookies and current tasks. Should you need to, WinPatrol allows you to terminate processes and enable, or disable, startup programs. There are additional features that make WinPatrol a very powerful addition to your security applications.

Sandboxie

Surfing the Internet without using Sandboxie is, to me, like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. Deadly! This application creates a “Sandboxed” protected environment on your machine within which you browse the net. Data that is written to your hard drive is simply eliminated, (or not, your choice), when the sandbox is closed. Utilizing this application allows you to surf the web without the risk of infecting your system with mal-ware or other nasties. This is another security application I have been using for over 6 months and it has yet to let me down. Highly recommended.

Snoop Free Privacy Shield

Snoop Free Privacy Shield is a powerful application that guards your keyboard, screen and open windows from all spy software. I have been using this application for quite some time, and I have been amazed at the number of programs that have requested access to my keyboard and screen; particularly, programs that I am in the process of installing. If you’re serious about privacy, this is a must have addition to your security toolbox.

Web of Trust (WOT) is a free online community that rates the trustworthiness of websites. It has launched a new interactive component to its product that installs in your browser to provide you with ratings of every site you visit. According to WOT well over eighteen million websites have been rated. It also provides utilities for you to rate any site as well. Rating is based on a simple three level model that I call "life savers":

Another great feature of the WOT browser plugin is a Google search feature that displays the WOT life saver beside each of the search results:

WOT is available for Firefox and Internet Explorer. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a powerful internet security feature to protect against questionable websites regarding trustworthiness, vendor reliability, privacy and child safety issues.

Bill Mullins gives a more indepth review here.

Visit MyWOT

Anyway, now that my finals are done, I'm looking at an very carefree summer.  I've decided to go back and reread the entire series again so that I will actually understand what is going on by the time I get to Knife of Dreams.  I've already begun, but I figure with the rest of my spare time I will jot down my thoughts on books and catch up.  

Reflections on Book 1:

I've always had this problem deciding on my favorite book.  I bounce back and forth between 1 and 5 every now and then.  I recognize the fact that apart of my love for The Eye of The World is solely due to the fact that it was the first book.  There will always be something special about the first book of any series.  The jokes are all fresh.  The characters are a complete mystery to the reader and you can't really tell what they are going to do.  Everything is new, even if it's an old story.  There isn't anything signifigant about a farmboy getting dragged into some greater destiny.  One day I should make a list of just how often that occurs in fantasy.  I can think of ten off the top of my head.  

What I do love about the Wheel of Time is the detail Robert Jordan put into every page.  For me, that is what elevated the series beyond the generic epic.  The world is so rich; I never expect to pick up on everything in one read.  I realize this is the major complaint of critics, but to each there own.

What is only true of the first book, there really isn't a character whom I hate...yet.   I do love the three boys and at this point, all equally.  I think what is so great about Mat, Rand, and Perrin is how easy it is to empathize with them individually.  When I moved away from home permanently, I felt as paranoid as Mat at times, and as torn as Rand faced with the grandeur of Caemlyn while still missing home.   A problem I find in the fantasy genre is that all too often, the characters are either gods or a bit too relatable and by that I mean there is nothing specific in them to really define their personalities.

In closing I'd like to share what my copy of Eye of the World looks like today:

The Air Force Academy received some bad news from their panelist forum this Sunday, when guest speakers at the talk entitled "USA's War on Terror: Not a Cosmic Battle Between Christianity and Islam" stated that the military water boards services members into accepting fundamentalism (in the religious Christian sense of course), and that American is definitely "losing" the WOT. So reports Israel eNews, though little could be found about the topic in mainstream American news reports.

My hypothesis is in some ways confirmed by this comment on Israel Enews:

It's important to negate fears through religious masturbation. It's important to see the real good entrenchment of beliefs can do.

For your perusal:

• Interesting training schedule for new joggers.  Got this from Omer on theaaplinvestor egroup.  I've started something like it on the treadmill.  We'll see how it goes.
• Couple of links to Robotics jobs:  1 & 2.  I need to meditate on these.
• The iPhone Dev Center.  'Nuff said.
• CrackerJacks fireworks club here in Reisterstown.  Link from Andy Webb of theaaplinvestor.  May hook up with them.
• Broken Windows Fallacy.  Useful to know.  This may be relevant when discussing some of the Green technologies that are being bandied about as solutions to AGW.  I don't know.
• Scientists taking brain-boosting drugs.
• Primer on Javascript 2.0.  Sounds really interesting.  Bringing true OOP to Javascript.
• Youtube video on Laffer Curve, Part 1.  Links at site for parts 2 & 3.
• What the Pentagon Report Missed, at Pajamas Media.  About the report on links between Saddam and Terrorists.  And, in spite of what the press mis-stated before the report was released, the report did describe extensive connections between Iraq and many different terrorist organizations.  Read the whole report, and then read the PJM article on even more extensive ties.
• The Book Thing, in Baltimore.  Free book exchange.  Heard about this from Alicia.  Thanks, Alicia!!!
• The Sun is Freaking Out!
• Intelligent Options, also from Omer.  Supposed to be very high percentage of returns when playing different options markets, including futures on commodities.
• eBook on Permissions on Leopard.

My first recommendation for fantasy book readers would probably have to be the saga of The Wheel of Time. WoT, as most of the fans refer to the series, is an unfinished set of 11 books set in an imaginary world. The plot revolves around the usual struggle between the Good and Evil. The champion of the world, the Dragon Reborn, is fighting the forces of the Dark One

and his followers, called the Darkfriends, led by an elite evil mages, the Forsaken Ones. The whole world is in turmoil, as the event lead to the Final Battle when everything will be settled once and for all.

Robert Jordan, actually James Oliver Rigney, Jr. had an original style. I say had not has, because Mr. Jordan suffered from a rare disease called amyloidosis, which he was determined to fight, but ultimately lost this fight on September 16, 2007 (the last of the books will be written in RJs stead by another fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson). Jordan's characters are very realistic and poses many innate qualities and peculiarities. The study of characters has been done thoroughly and resulted in very deep and diverse (and VERY big) group of characters.

Also, the plot itself is very intense, and consist of a good number of side-plots interconnected to one another and building up the main plot. Seriously, sometimes it's easy to get lost in the amount of information conveyed by the series. Nonetheless, I found the series very addictive. Once I started the first book, it only took me one or two chapters to get totally hooked on the story of Rand, Perin, Mat, and Co.

All in all, the series are very exciting, yet slightly predictable at times with some overly detailed description of landscape. Nonetheless, those little cons are completely wiped out by the amazing plot (which kind of slows down towards the mid-end part of the series), depth of characters, and the battle scenes that pop up now and again throughout the saga.

Aside for the 11 books (one more to come, unfortunatelly by a different author), there is one sequel (The New Spring) and reference book (The World of Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time - commonly refered to as the "Big White Book" by fans).

My ranking for the series: 9/10 (Extremely Recommended)